News @ The Beach

University Again Nationally Recognized for Diversity

By Shayne Schroeder • November 10, 2014

Cal State Long Beach has again received national recognition for its commitment to diversity. In the most recent listing of the “Top 100 Degree Producers” by Diverse Issues in Higher Education CSULB, is ranked 12th in the nation in conferring baccalaureate degrees to minority students, up one spot from last year.

The “Top 100” is a list of the best minority degree-awarding institutions of higher education in the nation. It is the only national report that showcases the success of U.S. colleges and universities in awarding degrees to African American, Asian American, Latino and Native American students and is the only national analysis to use the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. Using these statistics, rankings are created in the total number of baccalaureate degrees awarded at every university and college in the nation by ethnicity as well as specific figures in major fields of study or disciplines.

“Cal State Long Beach is especially chartered by the state of California to educate its citizens. I am proud that our student body looks just like California’s population,” said CSULB President Jane Close Conoley. “This means we are fulfilling the hopes of Californians to have affordable and excellent educational opportunities no matter their ethnicity or income level. We’re a university that delivers on transformative, high impact educational experiences. Our faculty and staff are fully committed to this singular mission of student success.”

By discipline, CSULB ranked No. 1 in awarding undergraduate degrees to minority students in three different major areas—family and consumer sciences, English language and literature and visual and performing arts. Additionally, the campus ranked first in awarding English degrees to Hispanic, Asian American and Native American students, and family and consumer science degrees to Hispanics.

The campus ranked among the top 10 in five other individual disciplines: fourth in health and medical administrative services, sixth in liberal arts, eighth in health professions, eighth in parks, recreation and leisure studies and ninth in area, ethnic, cultural, gender and group studies.

The campus also ranked first in awarding bachelor’s degrees in foreign languages, literature and linguistics to Native American students and visual and performing arts degrees to Asian American and Hispanic students.